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Christ's Hospital is a public school (English fee-charging
boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...
for pupils aged 11–18) with a royal charter, located to the south of
Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...
in
West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...
. The school was founded in 1552 and the royal charter granted in 1553 (26 June, 7 Edw. VI). Since its establishment, Christ's Hospital has been a
charity school Charity schools, sometimes called blue coat schools, or simply the Blue School, were significant in the history of education in England. They were built and maintained in various parishes by the voluntary contributions of the inhabitants to ...
, with a core aim to offer children from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance of a better education.


Charitable foundation

Christ's Hospital is unusual among British independent schools in that the majority of the students receive bursaries. This stems from its founding charter as a charitable school. School fees are paid on a means-tested basis, with substantial subsidies paid by the school or their benefactors, so that pupils from all walks of life are able to have private education that would otherwise be beyond the means of their parents. The trustees of the foundation are the Council of Almoners, chaired by the Treasurer of Christ's Hospital, who govern the foundation according to a Scheme of Administration granted by the
Charity Commission The Charity Commission for England and Wales is a non-ministerial department of His Majesty's Government that regulates registered charities in England and Wales and maintains the Central Register of Charities. Its counterparts in Scotland and ...
. The historic Court of Governors survives as a formal institution consisting of over 650 benefactors but its powers have since the 19th century been largely transferred to the smaller Council of Almoners. In 2007, Christ's Hospital was formally separated into two related registered charities: Christ's Hospital Foundation and Christ's Hospital School.


History

Christ's Hospital was the result of the foundation by
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
and confirmed by
Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...
, assisted by Nicholas Ridley, Bishop of London, and Sir Richard Dobbs,
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
. Its genesis was the earlier dissolution of the monasteries and the resultant overflow onto the streets of the poor and destitute. Encouraged by a sermon from Ridley, exhorting mercy to the poor, the king wrote to the Lord Mayor encouraging him to action. This he did via a committee of 30 merchants. Henry VIII had already granted the use of Greyfriars to the city for the relief of the poor and to house the homeless children which the magistrates had taken notice of. In 1553 (26 June, 7 Edw. VI) Edward granted Bridewell Palace, his lands at the
Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...
, and rents and other chattels to create three Royal Hospitals – Christ's Hospital, Bridewell Hospital (now the King Edward's School, Witley,
Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
) and
St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, together with Guy's Hospital, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Royal Brompton Hospita ...
. The three institutions use the same coat of arms, although slightly modified by the latter. The first boys and girls entered the school in Newgate in 1552. The
Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
was granted and signed by its founder, Edward VI, the following year. The first treasurer was Richard Grafton. The Protestant foundation survived the Marian period and in the 1560s it sent its first scholars to Oxford and Cambridge. The school occupied Newgate as its major site for 350 years, but from time to time children were housed in other parts of the country. 32 children perished during the Great Plague of 1665. In the following year the
Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Wednesday 5 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old London Wall, Roman city wall, while also extendi ...
destroyed much of the hospital, except four cloisters and three wards, but there were no casualties among the children. Around 200 pupils were sent to
Islington Islington ( ) is an inner-city area of north London, England, within the wider London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's #Islington High Street, High Street to Highbury Fields ...
and
Clerkenwell Clerkenwell ( ) is an area of central London, England. Clerkenwell was an Civil Parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish from the medieval period onwards, and now forms the south-western part of the London Borough of Islington. The St James's C ...
and then to
Ware WARE (1250 AM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic hits format. Licensed to Ware, Massachusetts, United States, the station serves the Springfield radio market. The station is currently owned by Success Signal Broadcasting ...
and
Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...
. By the end of the 17th century the buildings had been rebuilt with the assistance of Sir Christopher Wren, a governor of Christ's Hospital, and
Nicholas Hawksmoor Nicholas Hawksmoor ( – 25 March 1736) was an English architect. He was a leading figure of the English Baroque style of architecture in the late-seventeenth and early-eighteenth centuries. Hawksmoor worked alongside the principal architects ...
, who designed the Writing School (1696). The church of
Christ Church, Newgate Street Christ Church Greyfriars, also known as Christ Church Newgate Street, was a church in Newgate Street, opposite St Paul's Cathedral in the City of London. Established as a monastic church in the thirteenth century, it became a parish church afte ...
, designed by Wren, replaced the damaged choir of the former Greyfriars' church and served as a place of worship for the children of Christ's Hospital in the city until the move to Horsham. Through the will of the royal jeweller, George Heriot, it also became the inspiration for the foundation of George Heriot's Hospital in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
, which was the first of the "Hospital Schools" to be founded in Scotland. Christ's Hospital was given its second
Royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...
by Charles II in 1673. This created the Royal Mathematical School, the original purpose of which was to train
mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...
s and navigators who would serve as naval officers and merchant seafarers.
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
, Secretary to His Majesty's Navy and from 1699 vice-president of Christ's Hospital, made a considerable contribution to Christ's Hospital.
Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton () was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Newton was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment that followed ...
, Jonas Moore, John Flamsteed, and
Edmund Halley Edmond (or Edmund) Halley (; – ) was an English astronomer, mathematician and physicist. He was the second Astronomer Royal in Britain, succeeding John Flamsteed in 1720. From an observatory he constructed on Saint Helena in 1676–77, H ...
contributed to plans for the course of study of the new school within the foundation. The girls of the hospital settled at
Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a Ford (crossing), ford on ...
from 1707. The governors had been paying a teacher in Hertford from 1653, and the removal of some children from London following the Great Fire strengthened the link with the town. In 1761, 200 boys under the age of ten along with the boys from Ware were relocated to Hertford. In 1778 the last girls were moved out of London to join the others at Hertford, where the school was rebuilt 1795–1798 to provide accommodation for the new numbers. Christ's Hospital's most famous upper master was James Boyer who presided from 1778 to 1799 and instructed James Leigh Hunt,
Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...
, and
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
. In November 1815, the "most infamous Regency
flagellant Flagellants are practitioners of a form of mortification of the flesh by whipping their skin with various instruments of penance. Many Christian confraternities of penitents have flagellants, who beat themselves, both in the privacy of their dwel ...
”, an MP named Sir Eyre Coote, entered Christ's Hospital mathematical school, sent away the younger boys and paid the older ones for a session of mutual flogging. The school nurse arrived to find him buttoning his breeches; England's satirical press had come of age in time to make the very most of such a moment. Coote endured a cartoon by
George Cruikshank George Cruikshank or Cruickshank ( ; 27 September 1792 – 1 February 1878) was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern William Hogarth, Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for his friend Charles Dicken ...
, a vaunted caricaturist, and national humiliation. The notable London architects, John Shaw Senior and John Shaw Junior, were architects and surveyors to Christ's Hospital throughout the first half of the 1800s. The Shaws' work included the old school hall (c.1825). The Duke of Cambridge started a tradition of Royal Presidents in 1854. A commission of inquiry in 1837 proposed reforms, and in 1864 the Taunton Commission investigated the endowed schools. As a result of this a greater number of girls were admitted. However, in the 1890s boys still outnumbered girls at Hertford. Another commission in 1877 proposed a new site for the school, where all the boys would be taught. This proposal was questioned by some of the governors. The Duke of Cambridge said: However, the proposal was carried out. of land outside Horsham in Sussex was purchased from the Aylesbury Dairy Company for £47,500. The foundation stone was laid by Edward, Prince of Wales on 23 October 1897, on behalf of the sovereign, the date being the anniversary of the birthday of the founder. The new school was designed by architect
Aston Webb Sir Aston Webb, (22 May 1849 – 21 August 1930) was a British architect who designed the principal facade of Buckingham Palace and the main building of the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other major works around England, many of them in par ...
, with fireplaces by Leonard Shuffrey. Historic architectural features from the old school buildings (the Grecians' Arch and the Wren Arch) were salvaged and incorporated in the new buildings. The boys were relocated from Newgate and Hertford to the new site in 1902. Hertford became a girls-only school. Over the centuries Christ's Hospital has continued to enjoy royal patronage. In 1919,
George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...
became the first royal patron, followed by
George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
in 1937 and
Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
in 1953. Sexual abuse of pupils from 1969 to 2001 led to six former teachers being convicted of offences after more than 20 former students made complaints to the police in 2016. The convicted former teachers were sentenced to prison terms of up to 17 years.


Architecture

The ensemble of buildings in the Christ's Hospital Horsham campus were
Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, H ...
in 1959. The complex includes a tall
water tower A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system, distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towe ...
, a dining hall facing a quadrangle flanked by collannaded wings, and a school chapel. The red brick
colonnades In classical architecture, a colonnade is a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building. Paired or multiple pairs of columns are normally employed in a colonnade which can be straight or curv ...
are joined to the dining hall with stone
arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
ways which were designed by John Shaw in 1836 for the old school in Newgate Street in the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
. These archways were dismantled and re-erected here at the Horsham site in 1902. The Big School is noted for its large
Perpendicular In geometry, two geometric objects are perpendicular if they intersect at right angles, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees or π/2 radians. The condition of perpendicularity may be represented graphically using the '' perpendicular symbol'', � ...
-style windows, its octagonal turrets and a square clock tower on the roof. Another remnant of the Newgate Street school is to be found at the south end of the Big School, the
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
designed by Sir
Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren FRS (; – ) was an English architect, astronomer, mathematician and physicist who was one of the most highly acclaimed architects in the history of England. Known for his work in the English Baroque style, he was ac ...
. The dining hall is dominated by an -long painting by Antonio Verrio which depicts the foundation of the Royal Mathematical School at Christ's by King Charles II in 1673. The canvas contains over 100 figures, including Charles II, and King James II was added at a later date. The painting had previously hung in the former Great Halls in London for over 320 years. The school chapel was designed by Aston Webb and E Bell. The
Bath stone Bath Stone is an oolitic limestone comprising granular fragments of calcium carbonate originally obtained from the Middle Jurassic aged Great Oolite Group of the Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines under Combe Down, Somerset, England. Its h ...
reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a Church (building), church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular a ...
at the east end depicts Christ in Glory surrounded by sculptures of the
Twelve Apostles In Christian theology and ecclesiology, the apostles, particularly the Twelve Apostles (also known as the Twelve Disciples or simply the Twelve), were the primary disciples of Jesus according to the New Testament. During the life and minist ...
, and in the lower panel is Christ receiving the children. The Apostles were designed by William Silver Frith, with the central panel by William Bateman Fagan and Bell, and carved by stonemasons Daymond & Son. Another work by Frith is s statue of the
Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd (, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 and Ezeki ...
in a niche above the chapel door, which was installed as a
war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...
in memory of Old Blues who died in
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. The
altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...
, by Norman & Burt of Burgess Hill, is in mahogany inlaid with holly ornamentation. The stained-glass window is by Thomas Ralph Spence and the
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurised air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a Musical keyboard, keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single tone and pitch, the pipes are provide ...
was built by Alfred Kirkland. The walls of the chapel nave are adorned with a series of sixteen murals, painted by Frank Brangwyn in tempera in 1912-23. The murals illustrate scenes from the early Christian Church, including depictions of the martyrdom of St Alban, St Columba landing at Iona, St Ambrose training his choir, and St Paul. File:quad DH.jpg, The dining hall and the quad, seen from Big School File:CH FntAvQuad.jpg, The quad and Front Avenue, seen from the Art School Christ’s Hospital 17 11 04 192000.jpeg, The quad cloister Cloisters at Christ's Hospital.jpg, John Shaw's stone archways from Newgate Street Chapel at Christ's Hospital.jpg, The school chapel Christ’s Hospital Chapel nave.jpg, The school chapel interior Christ's Hospital Dining Hall.jpg, Pupils in the dining hall, with the Verrio painting in the background


Traditions

Links with the City and the
Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the Mayors in England, mayor of the City of London, England, and the Leader of the council, leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded Order of precedence, precedence over a ...
are maintained, with an annual parade through the City of London on
St Matthew Matthew the Apostle was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. According to Christian traditions, he was also one of the four Evangelists as author of the Gospel of Matthew, and thus is also known as Matthew the Evangelist. The claim of his g ...
's Day and a regular place in the
Lord Mayor's Show The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century. A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as their inaugura ...
. One of the Christ's Hospital traditions is marching into lunch with the band, which is done every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting. Another is the annual speech-day parade, where the Lord Mayor of London and his procession watch the school perform a march-past through the main quad. They also join the school in chapel for a grand service, and eat lunch with the Grecian year and their parents. Lastly they move to Big School to hear the Senior Grecian's oration and witness the Grecian prize-giving. This is held on the Saturday at the start of the Summer Half Term.


Uniform

The Tudor
school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution. They are common in primary school, primary and secondary schools in various countries and are generally widespread in Africa, Asia, O ...
consists of belted, long blue coats, knee-breeches, yellow socks, and bands at the neck. The uniform has been in place since 1553. The nickname "Blue-coat School" comes from the blue coats worn by the students; however, the nickname used within the school community itself is "Housey" and the long coat is called a "Housey coat". Variants of the Housey Coat include a version with larger buttons and velvet cuffs, known as the 'Buttons' coat. These are issued to the Monitors, a group of Grecian prefects, as well as an academic commendation to Grecian pupils. Those in the latter category wear these coats with the third button on the cuff undone to signify this distinction. Second and third form pupils wear a simple leather belt with a buckle. When pupils reach their "Little
Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...
" year (year 9), they were presented with more elaborate hallmarked
sterling silver Sterling silver is an alloy composed mass fraction (chemistry), by weight of 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver silver standards, standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. ''Fineness, Fine silver'' ...
'broadie' buckles and belts, which the pupils keep after leaving the school. However, today the 'broadie' buckles tend to be made of base metal with a silver coating. It is also not uncommon for pupils with parents or siblings who attended the school to wear additionally the buckles of their relatives, leading to some pupils to have as many as 5 buckles on their broadie belt. Special buckles are also issued to House Captains, as well as the Senior Grecian (the senior student of the school). A complementary uniform was introduced for girls on re-unification of the schools in 1985 when the girls' part of the school closed in Hertford and moved to Horsham. This consists of a knee-length pleated skirt, summer jacket, yellow socks (for the boys and junior girls), and grey socks or grey/black tights for senior girls, as well as the long coat in winter, and the bands. During periods of hot weather conditions, the Head Teacher may allow pupils to wear so-called 'Half Housey', where the Housey coat may be left off and shirts and breeches/skirts only be worn. In 2011, students and alumni stated that they saw the uniform as an important way of giving the school a unique identity and unifying the school. Around that time the administrators had discussed the idea of updating the uniform. Over 95% of students voted in favour of keeping the original uniform."Students Vote to Keep Tudor Uniform." British Heritage 32, no. 2 (May 2011): 10. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed 27 August 2011).


Admissions

As a guide, children entering Christ's Hospital at age 11 into Year 7 need to show evidence of academic potential, working towards the higher end of the ability range in both the Mathematics and English National Curriculum syllabuses. The assessment process for a bursary place is in two stages. An initial assessment in October which is followed by a residential assessment in January. Admission in Year 9 is also based on Christ's Hospitals own assessment process. Candidates for entry at age 13 into Year 9 who do not require a bursary may choose to apply to be tested at age 11 and have their place deferred. All applicants at Year 12 should be on course to achieve a minimum of four A (level 7 grades) and four B (level 6 grades) at GCSE. Following an assessment process, offers are made which are conditional on achieved performance at GCSE. In all cases reports will be requested from a candidate's current head teacher.


Historic methods of entry

Christ's Hospital has a number of historic methods of entry that are attached to bursary applications.


Wests' Gift for Children

John and Frances West lived in the latter part of the 17th and early part of the 18th centuries. John became a wealthy merchant in the City of London and lived in a house on the site that is now occupied by the Mansion House. John and Frances had no children of their own but they did have strong family connections with Newbury, Reading, Twickenham and the City of London. Children from these areas are therefore encouraged to apply for a place at Christ's Hospital via the West Gift Bursary fund.


RAF Foundationers Trust and 617 Squadron

Sir Barnes Wallis, a former pupil,
governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
and treasurer set up the RAF Foundationers Trust in 1951. An award was made to him in recognition of his work by the 617 Squadron of the RAF and Wallis set up the fund with the award. The RAF Benevolent Fund donated a like amount. The fund provides an income for the education of a small number of children in the school at any one time. Consideration for places is given to children of personnel who are serving or who have served in the RAF.


Royal Navy/Royal Mathematical School

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
was a governor and Vice President of the school; he instigated the opening of the Royal Mathematical School at Christ's Hospital in 1673 which was founded to educate children in mathematics for the practice of navigation. As a result, special consideration for a maximum of forty places is given to children of personnel who are serving, or have served in the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
,
Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...
or
Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...
.


City livery companies

Christ's Hospital was founded in the City of London over 460 years ago as a charity funded by city businesses and the church to provide training/education to poor street children. The school retains its connections with these organisations, some of which have an ancient right to 'present' a child to the school. The school Admissions Office is able to advise whether any presentations are available for a child's year of entry.


Academic results

Academic Results: * GCSE Results (2023): 59% achieved grades 9-7. * A Level Results (2023): 41% attained A*/A grades, with 67% securing A*-B grades. * Average IB Point Score (2023): Impressive average of 37 points. * GCSE Results (2019): 63% achieved grades 9-7. * A Level Results (2019): 35% attained A*/A grades, with 61% securing A*-B grades. * Average IB Score (2019): Average score stood at 34 points.


External inspection

In late November 2018, Christ's Hospital underwent a whole school inspection carried out by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. The school met all standards without any action points given.


School activities


Music

Christ's Hospital has a long and distinguished musical tradition and has one of the largest school music departments in the country, with around 35 visiting staff and eight full-time staff. Famous alumni of Christ's Hospital Music School include conductors Sir Colin Davis,
Charles Hazlewood Charles Matthew Egerton Hazlewood (born 14 November 1966) is a British conductor. After winning the European Broadcasting Union conducting competition in 1995 whilst still in his twenties,Adrian Bawtree and Simon Joly, trumpeter David Mason (formerly Principal Trumpet of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), composer Tim Benjamin, and composer and conductor Constant Lambert. The school's chapel has a large five-manual Rushworth and Dreaper organ, one of four organs in the school (the others being a 3-manual 1829 Hill in Big School, played on by
Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include symphonie ...
and Karg-Elert, a 2-manual Father Willis in the Dining Hall, and a Flight and Robson chamber organ in the Court Room). The near 150-strong Chapel Choir has made many recordings and through these has earned an excellent reputation. Throughout the school's history, many pupils have gone on to take up choral and organ scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge universities or have gained places at leading music conservatories. The school has a symphony orchestra, a chapel choir and many other smaller instrumental ensembles and choirs, along with an annual House Singing Competition. The Music Department organises a public concert every February at St John's, Smith Square in London. The school is also famous as the first place in England to host a complete cycle of the chamber music of Brahms, under the direction of the then Head of Piano John Thwaites. Christ's Hospital was featured in the first series of the reality television programme '' Rock School'', in which
Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...
of
Kiss A kiss is the touching or pressing of one's lips against another person, animal or object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely; depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sex ...
helped a group of pupils form their own rock band. The school's most famous ensemble is its marching band, simply named Christ's Hospital Band. It plays for the daily parade and performs in the annual
Lord Mayor's Show The Lord Mayor's Show is one of the best-known annual events in London as well as one of the longest-established, dating back to the 13th century. A new lord mayor is appointed every year, and the public parade that takes place as their inaugura ...
in the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
. The band also has a regular engagement each summer at
Lord's Cricket Ground Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket List of Test cricket grounds, venue in St John's Wood, Westminster. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex C ...
. The band led the procession at the Queen's 80th birthday parade in London on 21 April 2006 and has played at
Twickenham Stadium Twickenham Stadium (; usually known as Twickenham, and for sponsorship purposes known as the Allianz Stadium Twickenham) is a rugby union stadium in Twickenham, London, England. It is owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the English rugby u ...
on a number of occasions.


Drama

An Arts Centre complex designed by architect Bill Howell was opened in 1974, including a theatre with Tudor-style auditorium, an extension to the music school, the 'Octagon' rehearsal/performance space, and classrooms. The Christ's Hospital Arts Centre served as a principal arts venue for Horsham and the surrounding area until the establishment of an arts centre in Horsham in the 1980s. A programme of performances continues to be open to the public. Former pupils in theatre and film include Jason Flemyng, Leo Gregory, James D'Arcy, Michael Wilding and Roger Allam.


Houses

Christ's Hospital has introduced a small number of day students since 2011; however, most of the students continue to be boarders. The school
houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
are named after notable Old Blues (the CH-specific term for alumni), primarily writers. Each house has an "A" and "B" side, home to roughly 45 pupils. The houses are arranged from west to east as follows:


Avenue houses

*Peele – George Peele (boys) *Thornton – Edward Thornton (girls) *Middleton –
Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton (baptised 18 April 1580 – July 1627; also spelt ''Midleton'') was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He, with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, was among the most successful and prolific of playwrights at work in the Jac ...
(boys) *Coleridge –
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge ( ; 21 October 177225 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian who was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets with his friend William Wordsworth ...
(girls) *Lamb –
Charles Lamb Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet, and antiquarian, best known for his '' Essays of Elia'' and for the children's book '' Tales from Shakespeare'', co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764� ...
(boys) *Barnes – Thomas Barnes (girls) *Maine – Henry James Sumner Maine (boys) *Leigh-Hunt –
Leigh Hunt James Henry Leigh Hunt (19 October 178428 August 1859), best known as Leigh Hunt, was an English critic, essayist and poet. Hunt co-founded '' The Examiner'', a leading intellectual journal expounding radical principles. He was the centre ...
(girls) The sixteen original main boarding houses stretch from Peele to Leigh Hunt along The Avenue, built as four H-blocks on either side of the main Quad. Leigh Hunt was originally the pair of preparatory houses, Prep A and Prep B, and were converted to junior houses on the abolition in 1964 of entry at the age of nine. The sixteen original houses provided two dormitories (Upper Dorm and Lower Dorm) sleeping up to about 30 boys each. As the merger of the boys and girls approached, some dormitories were divided into cubicles, and subsequent developments created dormitories accommodating about twelve pupils each. Since 2001 there has been a rolling refurbishment programme, with the refurbished houses providing a range of accommodation: four-bed rooms for the junior pupils to one-bed rooms for the more senior pupils. Until 1964, boys at Horsham lived in all-through houses from 2nd Form to Grecians (with the exception of Prep A and Prep B). Then houses were divided into senior houses (Peele, Thornton, Middleton, Coleridge and Lamb) and Junior houses (Barnes, Maine, Leigh Hunt) with boys transferring to a senior house after Little Erasmus. In conjunction with the merger, a further reorganisation occurred with each house converting to a senior side and a junior side. This system reverted to the all-through houses in 2000, now from 2nd Form to Deps.


Grecians houses

Year 13 (Grecian) students move to Grecians houses, which provide a transitional style of life in preparation for university or life beyond school. The two Grecians houses were completed early in 2001, and have individual study bedrooms plus several general common rooms and kitchenettes shared by a group of seven to ten pupils, thus introducing pupils to life in a mixed communal environment as they prepare themselves for university. *Grecians West (for pupils who were previously in Peele, Thornton, Middleton, and Coleridge) *Grecians East (for pupils who were previously in Lamb, Barnes, Maine, and Leigh Hunt)


Alumni

People educated at Christ's Hospital are called Old Blues.


Staff

Head teachers have included: * James Boyer (1778–1799) * George Andrew Jacob (1853–1868) * Arthur William Trollope (1799–1826) * William Hamilton Fyfe (1919–1930?) Other notable teachers have included: * Edward Baldwin, 4th Earl Baldwin of Bewdley * Adrian Bawtree * Edward Buck * Samuel Cobb * Gerald Davies * Ralph Henry Carless Davis * Bruce Grindlay * Craig Sellar Lang * Derrick Somerset Macnutt * William Wales (astronomer) * Henry Robinson D. D., a 19th-century master Also associated with the school are: * John Flamsteed (
Astronomer Royal Astronomer Royal is a senior post in the Royal Households of the United Kingdom. There are two officers, the senior being the astronomer royal dating from 22 June 1675; the junior is the astronomer royal for Scotland dating from 1834. The Astro ...
), Governor *
Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys ( ; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English writer and Tories (British political party), Tory politician. He served as an official in the Navy Board and Member of Parliament (England), Member of Parliament, but is most r ...
, Governor * Steve Gatting, football coach


See also

* Christ's Hospital Band * Christ's Hospital railway station * Erasmus Smith


References


Sources

* * * *


External links


Christ's Hospital
* ISI Inspectio
Reports
* {{Authority control Boarding schools in West Sussex Educational institutions established in the 1550s Former buildings and structures in the City of London Private schools in West Sussex 1552 establishments in England Member schools of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference Horsham Organisations based in England with royal patronage Charities based in West Sussex Church of England private schools in the Diocese of Chichester Schools with a royal charter International Baccalaureate schools in England King Edward VI Schools